Process of producing legends in black on motion-picture negatives.



UNITED STATES P T T OFFICE.

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To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Gronon LANE, a subject of the King of England, and a resident inscriptions, or the like, on motion icture.

films 1n a manner that is most exp itious, and hence rapid and cheap and which moreover'is capable of the best po$ible illustrative results. 7 U

In the usual or old practices there are three 'proeeses involved in making of negative films: first, by hand lettering or inscribing on a black card; second,

by printing on a black card with aluminum ink, or using a viscous ink orsome other stance and powderin minum the same with alupowder, or its equivalent. These two processes are the most commonly used to make a negative for production purposes, but the first is expensive and slow, while the second is uncertain and consequently unsatisfactory. Furthermore in both of these methods the card itself because of its color character is apt to photograph and produce a grayish efl'ect on the final projection uponthe screen. The third old process is to print ona-white card and photogIaph the same in a motion picture camera whereby there is produced what is technically termed a positive film, from which to obtain a negative it is run through a motion picture printing machine to makefwhat is ca led a negative dupe or duped negative? The first method mentioned is most universally used by high class producers for thereby it IS almost certain to produce a good quality of titleor legend on the screen. The second and third methods are not used by the highest 'class producers owing to the faults and difficulties accompanying them.

While it is not impossible to make a fairly good negative dupe. it is nevertheless es sential for such production that the machine making it must possess a fine degree of accuracy to give av perfect contact and definition. Only in plants that are large enough to employ first class mechanics "who are skilful and reliable enough for the output gelatinous sub- Specification a: mm: 1mm. P t nt d A 8, 1919, Application filed November 1a, 1910. Serial No. 262,374.

- to be depended upon can this process be employed and eventhen eithera specialmachine is used or else the standard machine must be changed in some essential parts to insure that perfect definition.

In the practice of my invention I emplo or resort to a succession of steps all of whic considered severally are more or less familiar in other relations to photographers ormotion picture artisans, but which when associated In a complete process I believe involve a' new and meritorious process because the results obtained by the same are much w more satisfactory to the theater going public and-at the same time the work can be produced much more rapidly, easily and cheaply than in the practice of any motion picture process or development heretofore known or practised.

- In the first step in my process I employ a ,sheet of pure white thin or diaphanous paper, and hence having a uniform clear texture of any convenient size. On this sheet I I paper constituting the sheet on which the legend or device is printed or placed. From what has been stated it is to be understood that my process relates particularly to the pre 'aration of what is commonly termed in t e art the title and which consists of descri tive matter or the like employed as a pre ace to the regglar motion picture. I wish it'to be un-.

derstood, however, that the ractice of improved process is suscepti 1e of a muc wider field than that just indicated.

The result of the first step of my process may be understood therefore as having the visible characteristics of a sheet of paper printed in positive characters similar to the ordinary page of a book. Conse the work is such as to involve a device that must be of an artist or the like the roduction therefof obviousl is much simpllfiedby thepositive character of the picture or other device. I During the second step-of my process I ecorative uently it":

produced by the band.

a surrounding at every point except where obscuredby the printing or other device applied thereto by dark ink or paint, will become when developed absolutely black, while those portions covered by the dark legends carried by the initial white sheet in close or direct contact with the photo print paper will be absolutely white.. At the end of the proper time of exposure of the photo print as above set forth, said photo print is developed in accordance with any well understood practice'of photo development and the result therefore at the end of this second step of my process is or may be described as being a photo print sheet having thereon perfectly whiteletters field or background that is black. At this point it is to be observed that since the initial sheet having the clearly out lined or clear cut characters applied thereto in black or dark color is during the second step of the process held firmly by the princing machine or the like in close contact with the photo sheet, the outline of the white characters produced or developed on the photosheet by, this second step of the process must be very clear and have sharp outlines. The photo sheet just referred to as the result of the second step having the characters in white on a dark-background maybe described as being negative as to color, but as to the legible nature of the letters or characters theymay be either positive or negative depending upon the directionof the light through the initial white sheet at the time the print is made.

Thethird step in my process is to support the aforesaid negative or photo sheet in flat position and photograph it by means of any usual motion picture camera. The negative film when so photographed and developed is a. film similar in color arrangementjgo the initial sheet, having absolutely black clear cut sharply outlined letters or characters constituting the. legend or other device and having .a perfectly clear or white background. The words or other devices so former uponthe whilte film may be legible character, but. in either event the film so produced'constitutes what may be termed a permanent negative film from which any number of reproductions may be made the sameas reproductions are ordinarily made from the 'aniniatedpicturc negative. Thus it will be seen thatin the practice of my in vention I obtain both negative and positive film each perfect'of its tages already enumerated.

photographic print or other characters and having kind for commercial use with none of the delays and disadvantitle, legend, or inscription is printed upon the original sheet or card,'I prefer to form first a printed impression upon a heavy card and then place the thin white or diaphanous sheet directly upon the printed card while the ink is yet moist, and then printing another impression on the face of the'sheet so placed. Thereby I get not only the direct impression upon the face of the sheet, but also an oifset impression from the first print with the result that the thin or diaphanous sheet will have the printed impression on both faces insuring that no matter which face of the sheet is applied to the photo print sheet in the second step of the process, a direct contact between the printed legend and the photo print sheet will be assured. It is, of course, important that the ink used shall be uniformly distributed so as to r'oduce a.

solid color or one that is complete y opaque.

I have found, therefore, that a more even distribution of the ink on the paper than is usually found in printing purposes is in sured if a small bit of the following mixture-be added: cottonseed oil five parts and oil of citronella one part.

1. In motion picture photography, the heroin described process of producing legends in black on a negative film comprising the following steps: (1) forming the legend in positive characters in dark on a thin white sheet; (2) making a photo print of the legend so produced in close contact with the photo print sheet and developing the same producing the legend with negative colors, and (3) photographing said negative photo sheet on a motion picture film and developing the same producing thereon black characters on a white background, and constituting thereby a permanent negative film.

, 2. In motion picture photography, the herein described process of producing a iprmanent negative film comprising the fol-- l producing white characters for the legend,

title, or other device and with. a solid black background, and (3) photographing said photo print on a motion' jpicture film and developing the same producing thereby and thereon black characters on a white or clear background, said film being used permanently for multiple reproduction.

3. In motion picture photography, the

processof producing a permanent negatlve film (rom 'n'ising the following steps: printing with a dark (in-opaque ink on a heavy sheet or card the legend to be produced; (2) placing over the printed impression while yet moist a thin white or diaphanous sheet and making another White characters for the legend, and (4) fimtographing said photo print on a motion picture film and developing the same pro- 10 Tue-ingthereby and thereon solid black clear out characters on a Whit/d or clear backwound.

w GEORGE LANE 

